With a hundred million inhabitants, Ethiopia is the second most populous country in the Africa and one of the emerging powers of the continent.
Travelling to Ethiopia is to be transported to a place where some of the tribes most impressive on earth, both visually and historically. Lush green landscapes mingle with inhospitable terrain, a fascinating place with a legendary history.
Emperor Fasilides converted Gondar his capital in 1632. He then ordered the construction of a large pool for swimming and celebrating the religious ceremonies. The pools have survived to this day and have become the site of the celebration of the Timkat. Just as in other cities, in Gondar Ethiopians bring water from the river for the ceremony where they are completely immersed in holy water.
We have prepared this departure to Ethiopia on 17 January proposing Timkat in Axum as a more traditional alternative, less affected by tourism, an alternative to crowded Lalibela that is increasingly popular with visitors to Gondar. In Axum we find lthe authenticity of Ethiopian religious feeling and the remains of the ancient capital of the Aksumite Empire, including its fields of funerary stelae.
Travel to Ethiopia for 14 days with departure in January to participate in the festivals of Timkat and St George.
Travellers can discover the exceptional vitality of Ethiopians during their religious festivals: Timkat in the spectacular setting of Gondar with the fascinating Fasilidas Baths decorated; the St George in Lalibela will allow us to enjoy the beauty of its famous churches. The rock-hewn churches of the Tigray complete this tour of the oldest Christian kingdom in Africa.
Ethiopia is a continent within a continent, where all kinds of legends have been told since the Prester John created a kingdom where the fountain of youth was supposedly located, until all those who ruled were descended from the Queen of Sheba. There are places where time seems to have stopped Prehistory and others in which we find castles that seem to be taken from the European nobility. They even say there's a place where the Ark of the Covenant.
The medieval splendour of Gondar, the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela and the islands of Lake Tana: Africa’s rich history, carved into unique monuments
Celebrations always help to beautify the places visited. This time, our trip to Ethiopia: single departure on 12 June, will coincide with the distinctive night-time ceremony of the Milhela in Axum and the little-known celebration of anniversary of King Lalibela in a city that bears his name.
Weather permitting, the highlight of the trip will be an annular eclipse that we can observe from Lalibela on the last day.
The celebration of the Epiphany with Timkat in Ethiopia is not exclusive to the north of the country. On this trip, we suggest travelling with our guide, a Spanish resident in Gondar, who will help us experience a genuine celebration first hand in Ziway, on the shores of the lake in the south of the country.
We will complete the trip with a tour of the most emblematic places in the southern part of Ethiopia and visiting some markets.
On many occasions we travel to know new things and discover wonderful places, landscapes and sensations. But there's something else, without which travel would make no sense. Something that vividly reflects all the above, the true essence of the place: local population.
Over our many years of experience we have travelled the world, crossing paths with men, women and children from every corner of the globe. Sometimes they greeted us with smiles; at other times with wise, innocent or curious looks. In every case, their faces have remained etched in our memories and those of our travellers, becoming part of us and ensuring we never forget them.
In their honour, we have put together a collection of images of people we have met on our travel. They are the faces of the human diversity.
The Timkat festival, is the most important festival for Ethiopian Orthodox believers. Timkat takes place every 19 January and lasts three days. Forty percent of Ethiopians identify as Christians and are among the Christian traditions oldest in the world. This celebration of Epiphany recalls Jesus' baptism in the Jordan River with ritual recreation and parades with replicas of the Ark of the Covenant.
The lava of the Erta Ale volcano It is a mesmerising spectacle of raw, fascinating power. The magma that flows from the heart of the earth in flames, erupts and engulfs the rocks: a turbulent sea of stone liquid and black.
To enjoy this volcano in Ethiopia, you need an adventurous spirit, as any journey through remote areas inevitably involves a certain degree of hardship. In the case of this route to Danakil, there is also the challenging terrain and climate to contend with. High temperatures, water scarcity and difficult terrain combine to demand a certain spirit of self-sacrifice and adaptability to the circumstances. The effort in this case has its reward.
“Is what I’m seeing real?” wondered Ignasi Rovira when you first stepped on this remote southwestern region of Ethiopia.
The image was almost unreal, two children drinking blood directly from a cow that had been shot by a small dart; a ancient rite with extraordinary purity Though difficult to understand for the western eye.
There are many lakes in the world, formed by a wide variety of geological processes and forces within the earth. What distinguishes many of them is the life that thrives around them in all its forms, from unspoilt nature to human activity. Water is life.
Come and meet this one fascinating Horn of Africa country full of singularities and whose history is lost in time. This is where the “Grandmother of Humanity”, Lucy, whose skeleton is well guarded in the capital Addis Ababa, lived millions of years ago.
«When elephants fight, it is grass that suffers»
– African proverb
With this African proverb today we want to join the celebration of the International Day of the African Child, and of girls too. We know we are all a little tired of “days of...» but here is our small tribute, because we love Africa and supporting their children means investing in their future.
A trip to Ethiopia to discover the exceptional vitality of Ethiopians on the occasion of the celebration of their most outstanding religious festivities.
The Timkat celebrations in Ethiopia reveal the spirituality and emotion of the people of Gondar, reaching their climax at the bathing pools during the re-enactment of Jesus’ baptism.
Near Erta Ale volcano (‘smoking mountain’ in the Afar language) lies Lake Afrera. Its waters do not quench thirst, as it is a salt lake, but its minerals are a source of wealth. Water is channelled to its shores, where it evaporates, leaving fine white salt of the highest quality in the Danakil. Millions of years ago, the entire Danakil Depression was a vast sea. As it evaporated, it left enormous salt deposits, which are a source of wealth today.
It is worth visiting the salt workings to see the grid lines marking each property. After the salt flats, our next destination is Erta Ale volcano.
We've already talked about the trips to Ethiopia in this space before, but we love the country so much that we cannot resist returning to it. This time, we suggest a visual introduction to this beautiful corner of Africa. For this, we have looked beyond our photographic archives but on social media. We want to see the snapshots travellers bring home from the country and share with their friends and followers online. We have searched the instant photo-sharing network Instagram and show you the results below.
Ethiopia presentation: Thursday, 23 October at 19:00.
On Thursday 23 October, our colleague Juancho Pozuelo, who has guided several of our expeditions to Ethiopia, will share first-hand insights into this spectacular and unique route.
During the presentation, photographs and videos from previous expeditions will help us get a feel for the trip and discover the details of what awaits us.
Please confirm your attendance by calling 93 265.23.91 during office hours.
The north is the land of Christians who have left their ancient monuments as testimony.
In the south, in sub-Saharan Africa, culturally diverse peoples live alongside one another along the Omo River.
In this edition of the Viajes Tuareg Photography Competition, we have had 175 participants with almost 850 images. We have reviewed them all carefully and we have the result.
The trip is over, now it's time to process the experience at home.
The group reached Addis Ababa on the 17th. After a day of rest following the final stage in Tigray and discover the unusual churches in the capital of Ethiopia, they boarded their flight home. Many feelings, including climb Erta Ale, need to be fully digested.
Here is a selection of photos and comments from Juancho Pozuelo , a friend and collaborator of Mirada Viajera, the photographer accompanying us on this trip to Ethiopia.
«We are in Kombolcha, you might say the last trace of urban life before heading into the Danakil. The market for Sembete is very colourful and noisy.”